May 31, 2010

Gyulai wins accolades for outstanding journalism

Guild member Linda Gyulai has moved into the upper echelon of Canadian journalists, winning two of the news industry's most coveted awards for her series on Montreal's water-meter contract fiasco.

Her work secured for The Gazette the prestigious Michener Award for public service journalism, bestowed Thursday night in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. On Saturday, the civic affairs reporter took top honours from the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ).

Gyulai's investigation of the largest contract in the city's history led to its cancellation and the firing of two top city officials after her findings were confirmed by the auditor-general.

PHOTO: PETER MCCABE, THE GAZETTE
Linda Gyulai: 'It's really a nod to the kind of journalism we're trying to do at the Gazette.'

She determined that major elements of the $355.8-million contract to install water meters in institutional and commercial buildings were altered against the city’s interest days before the deal was closed. Gyulai's series, published last year, exposed significant oversights on contracts at city hall and ethically questionable relations between former city officials and companies seeking contracts.

The Michener Award was presented by Governer General Michaëlle Jean to Gazette publisher and editor-in-chief Alan Allnut with Gyulai at his side.

“It’s a fantastic honour for Linda in particular, and for The Gazette in general,” Allnutt said. “I think Linda deserves full measure of the applause for this.”

Gyulai said the award is a shot in the arm for the whole Gazette newsroom.

“It’s really a nod to the kind of journalism we’re trying to do at The Gazette and that’s the best part of it,” Gyulai said. “We’re here to dig and to hold government accountable. It feels good to be recognized for doing exactly what we’re supposed to do.”

Following the CAJ ceremony in Montreal two nights later, she called the award for outstanding journalism "a vote of confidence not just in my work, but also in the work of all journalists who come up against pressure and obstruction to report on government. I’m honoured to be in the company of the outstanding journalists who were nominated here.”